Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The Minister of Youth and Sports has urged the youth to actively participate in sports instead of engaging in harmful activities.
Speaking to Eye Radio following the South Sudan Cup final at Juba Stadium on Tuesday, Dr Joseph Geng Akech, said the government’s priority will be creating sporting opportunities for young people nationwide.
The Minister expressed his excitement at the big turnout of young people at the stadium, describing it as a strong show of support and love for sports.
” I’m excited that when I attended this game. I saw young people filling this beautiful stadium. This is only a demonstration of our love for the sport,” he said.
Minister Geng said that the Ministry plans to organize similar sporting events throughout the country and encouraged more corporate investment in the sector.
“We will be organizing such competitions across the country. We are thankful to the sponsors, the rest of the corporations, and they should now invest in sports.”
Referring to a recent Sports Financing Conference, Akech registered the successful involvement of various corporate entities, which have now begun supporting sports initiatives.
He called on other companies to follow suit, stressing that sports contribute to peace and development, both essential for economic growth.
“Now we can see one of the corporate entities, Zain, has come to support. This is a call for other corporate entities to invest in sports because sports are a development and peace. And peace and development are the foundations for economic growth.”
Dr Geng said sports play an important role in guiding young people toward positive and constructive activities like sports, to deter them from joining gangs or engaging in violence.
“Young people in this country should take interest in sports because there’s no need to engage in destructive activities. Such as, you know, gang violence and all of this,” he added.
According to a report by the research-based Rift Valley Institute published in 2021, youth violence in South Sudan is driven by a mix of social, economic, and political factors.
The report said that years of conflict and political unrest have normalized violence in some communities.
Many youths have grown up in war-affected environments, making violence a familiar or even necessary part of life.
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